Anti-Social Network: Criminal Web Data Brokerage Busted

An online members-only marketplace trading in stolen credit card and other financial and confidential information got shut down by the FBI, resulting in dozens of arrests and a renewed law enforcement commitment to chasing economic crimes. Maybe large-scale cycbercrimes and crime networks are going to start getting the sort of concerted and concentrated attention their spread and influence demands.The busting of "Dark Market" was the culmination of a two year investigation into the private membership stolen data exchange and its 2,500 participants.

Worldwide, 56 participants were arrested, according to an FBI statement.

What makes the story so scary is the straightforward, businesslike approach the crooks took to setting up and running their online exchange: membership was by invitation only, and there was evidently a strong social networking as well as buying and selling of stolen data aspect to the undertaking.

We've been seeing -- and saying! -- for some time that cybercrime is functioning more and more as a structured economy, following business and organizational rules.

Maybe the silver lining is that that sort of operation will prove less difficult to infiltrate and bring down.